Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillators are useful to prevent
sudden death in patients with known, sustained ventricular fibrillation or tachycardia.
Studies have shown ICDs play a major role in preventing cardiac arrest in
high-risk patients who haven't had, but are at risk for, life-threatening
ventricular arrhythmias. The new-generation ICDs have a dual function which
includes the ability to serve as a pacemaker that can stimulate the ticker to
beat if the heart rate is detected to be too slow.
You cannot predict the occurrence of a sudden cardiac arrest
(SCA). A victim would require immediate treatment for survival. SCA can strike
anyone, even infants and children. The best way to handle out-of-hospital
cardiac emergencies is by getting trained in the life-saving CPR procedure. The
procedure comprises chest compressions and rescue breaths. Select a certified
training site for acquiring training, such as the AHA certified CPR Nashville
in Tennessee. Courses for both healthcare and non-healthcare providers are
offered.
CPR courses for healthcare providers include Basic Life
Support, Advanced Cardiac Life Support and Pediatric Advanced Life Support.
Learn more about a “PALS class Nashville”:
PALS
Training Classes- the PALS course by the American Heart Association is
designed to prepare healthcare providers to recognize, prevent, and treat
pediatric medical emergencies. If you
are a doctor, registered nurse, paramedic, or a healthcare provider who works
in an acute care setting, the course will help develop your pediatric
assessment skills and prepare you to identify early signs of shock, respiratory
emergencies, and cardiovascular emergencies in both infants and children.
Implantable
Cardioverter Defibrillator:
This battery-powered device is placed under the skin that
keeps track of your heart rate. Thin wires connect ICD to your ticker. If the
device detects an abnormal heart rhythm, it will deliver an electric shock to
restore a normal heartbeat if your ticker is beating chaotically and much too
fast. The American Heart Association suggests that before a patient is
considered to be a candidate for an ICD, the abnormal heart rhythm in question
must be life-threatening and doctors have ruled out correctable causes of the
arrhythmia, such as acute myocardial infarction (heart attack), myocardial
ischemia, and electrolyte imbalance and drug toxicity.
Why Is ICD
Required?
Your healthcare provider may recommend an ICD if you or your
child is at risk of life-threatening ventricular arrhythmia because of having
had a heart attack, a ventricular arrhythmia, survived a sudden cardiac arrest,
Long QT syndrome, Brugada syndrome, a congenital heart disease or other
underlying conditions for SCA.
How Does
The Device Work?
First and foremost, a healthcare provider implants the
battery-powered pulse generator in a pouch under the skin of the chest or
abdomen, often just below the collarbone. Wires or leads from the pulse
generator positions on the surface of or inside the ticker and can be installed
through blood vessels doing away with the need for open-chest surgery.
The ICD works 24 hours a day, and knows when the heartbeat is
not normal and tries to return the heartbeat to normal. If your ICD has a
pacemaker feature, it’ll work as pacemaker and send tiny electric signals to
your ticker when your heartbeat is too slow. Alternatively, it gives
defibrillation shocks to stop the abnormal rhythm when your heartbeat is too
fast or chaotic.
For
more information, or to sign up for a CPR course at CPR Nashville, call on (615)
638-0005.
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